Folding camera.



J. LINDER.

FOLDING CAMERA.

. APPLICATION FILED JUNE I5. 1915. 1,1 84,1 10. Pawnted May 23, 1916.

3 SHEETSSHEET I- Patented May 23, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- LINDER.

FOLDING CAMERA.

APPLICATION r1150 JUNE 15. 1915.

1. UNDER.

FOLDING CAMERA.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15. 1915.

Patented May 23,1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN LINDER, OF SPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

FOLDING CAMERA.

Application filed June 15, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN LINDER, a subject of the King of Sweden, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Cameras, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding cameras. In cameras of this character considerable interference frequently arises in folding the camera because of entrapped air in the bellows and it is one of the objects of this invention to avoid this defect, a feature consisting in providing novel means for ingress and egress to and from the exposure chamber providing such free air passage as to entirely avoid any air interference either in folding or opening the camera.

A further object of the invention is to insure collapse of the bellows on predetermined lines of fold and therefore my invention includes means for stiffening those portions of the bellows which are designed to remain flat, when folded, so as to insure folding action on predetermined lines.

In folding cameras there is usually a tendency for the bellows to slightly resist collapse and folding action of the bellows results from irregular stress applied to various portions along the length of the bellows to cause the same to fold into a collapsed position. In all cases, the rear sections should advisedly collapse first so that the succeeding front sections can fold upon and against the rear sections in order to insure collapse of the bellows on predetermined lines of fold. This is especially true in my improved folding camera wherein the lines of fold of the bellows are angular both with respect to the longitudinal axis of the exposure chamber and to the walls thereof.

Therefore it is a feature of my invention to provide means connected with the bellows and normally acting to force the same into a folded position so that when the camera is folded or closed reliance will not be placed upon compression on the bellows to fold the same but rather upon the automatically acting folding means with which the device of my invention is provided.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Serial No. 34,226.

This feature of my invention, while advantageous and clearly operable in the absence of my improved air vent and also in the absence of my improved means for stiffening the fold sections, is highly efficient when incorporated with the foregoing improvements.

A further object is to provide a film pack, or other sensitized material receiving chamber, with an improved closure, preferably forming the back wall or back of the easing, and which is not only held closed in a novel manner but which is mounted so as to be opened or entirely withdrawn wholly by being sprung or flexed into such different positions and without the employment of hinges.

A further object of my invention is to provide the camera with a front board upon which different forms of shutter and lens structures may be readily attached and wherein such structures are not built in to the front board to form a permanent part thereof.

It is a further feature of my invention to provide the camera with a front brace which is pivotally connected with the camera casing and with the front board in such a manner as to form the front wall of the camera when the latter is closed, a special feature of novelty consisting, in providing stretchers which are fixed to the front board and which have novel pin and slot connections with the casing in such a manner as to positively hold the bellows in a full open position, locked against contraction, and also to positively hold the front board in fixed relation with the casing when the camera is open. By reason of the novel feature of hinging the front board to the front brace and rigidly connecting the stretchers with the front board, the latter is not only held in a predetermined position with respect to the casing, when the camera is open, but the stretchers also serve to positively guide the front board into a closing position. A very important advantage resulting from this construction, is that when the camera is open, the front board is locked in predetermined relation with respect to the sensitized surface to be exposed. As a result of this improved construction, my camera not only folds and unfolds accurately, but

easily, and I regard this advantage as being of the utmost importance.

My invention has many other features and points of novelty which will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and which will be more l'iarticularly pointed out in and by the ap pended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1, is a perspective view of a. folding camera embodying the most improved type of my construction and showing the same in an open adjustment. Fig. 2, is a view in side elevation thereof showing the same closed or folded. Fig. 3, is a rear elevation of the folded camera with portions broken away to show interior parts. Fig. *1, is a front elevation of the camera, when folded, with parts broken away to show interior parts, and with the shutter and lens structures attached. Fig. 5, is a vertical sectional view on line of Fig. 3, showing the camera closed, with the back c ver open. Fig. 6, is a similar view, showing the camera open, and with the back cover closed. Fig. 7, is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 3. Fig. 8, is a sectional view on line 8-8 of Fig. 5. Fig. 9, is a sectional view on line 99 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10, is a fragmentary detached view of a portion of the camera frame.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As illustrated, my improved camera coniprises a camera casing, designated as a whole at 1, an exposure chamber 2, formed by a collapsible bellows 3 and a front folding wall or brace 1.

First describing the casing 1, the same comprises a rectangular outer frame having a bottom wall 5, a top wall 6 and side walls 7. In the bottom and side walls are suitable openings 8 and 8' for attachment of the camera to a tripod. The front and back of the casing are open and I provide a back wall or closure 9 of novel formation and having novel means for attachment and detachment to the casing, as will now appear.

The back wall or back closure 9 will either be of inherently flexible or resilient material or will be made of a material sufficiently thin so that it will be capable of being flexed into an open position in the manner shown in Fig. 5. The bottom margin of the back closure 9 is continuously smooth and upon the bottom wall I secure a fastening means for holding the lower end of the back clo sure. Said fastening means may comprise an angle shaped element having a bottom flange 10 which may be riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom wall 5, and a retaining or upright flange 11, adapted to extend slightly above the bottom wall 5. End flanges 12 fit inside of the side walls 7 and I provide fastening lugs 13 on the end flanges 12, between which and the back upright flange 11, the back closure 9, is adapted to be inserted, at its lower end. The horizontal or lower flange 10 is preferably weakened by a slit 1% extending between rivets 15, so as to provide for some slight give or yield to the back 11 when the back closure 9 is sprung outwardly in the manner shown in Fig. 5. In order to prevent the back closure 9 from being accidentally withdrawn upwardly out of engagement with the angle back fastener just described, I preferably form an opening 16 in the upright flange ll of the angle fastener, and at a corresponding point on the back closure 9, I upset the material thereof to form a retaining lug 17, adapted to register with and project into opening 16. By means of this construction, a slight pull exerted upwardly on the upper end of the back closure 9, together with a pressure on lug 17, will pull the back closure 9 free from the camera casing but ordinarily, lugs 17 will hold the closure back in position.

I will neXt describe the manner in which the upper end of the back closure 9 is locked and unlocked. ()n the interior faces of the sides 7, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 7, I fix catches 18 and in order that the latter may be readily sprung outwardly into the dotted line position shown at the right of Fig. 7, I weaken the side walls 7 by slotting the same as indicated at 19. On the top of the back closure 9, I provide lugs 20 which are of such form that they will engage catches 18 when the upper end of the back closure 9 is forced into a closed position. In order to facilitate the operation of spreading the weakened sides 7, I provide thumb nail notches 21, in the back closure 9. It will thus be seen that the back closure 9 has all the advantages of a hinged connection at its lower end, and a fastening device at its upper end, and that this construction is provided without necessitating the use of an actual hinge, the back being sprung into and out of a closing position and also being sprung into and out of actual connection with the camera casing. An interior open frame, generally designated at 22, forms with said back closure 9, a chamber into which a film pack or other sensitized material to be exposed, may be readily inserted and withdrawn, by reason of the improved resilient closure back, just described. Said frame 22 includes upright side portions 22, downwardly depending transversely disposed upper flange 2'2" and a similar upwardly projecting lower flange 22.

Reference will next be made to the novel manner of attaching the rear margin of the bellows to the frame The rear margins of the side walls of the bellows are preferably cemented to the outer faces of the upright side portions 22* and are disposed between the inner and outer frames. The rear margin of the upper wall of the bellows is fastened by a strap 22* and rivets 22 to the flange 22 The rear margin of the lower wall of the bellows is fastened by a strip 21 and rivets 2% to the flange 22.

The bellows 3 is designed to fold, as regards its upper wall, on a transverse line 27. The side walls fold on lines running longitudinally or substantially so as indicated at 27' and 28, and on substantially transverse lines, as indicated at 29 and 30. The plaits subdivided by these lines of fold are indicated at 31, 32, 33, 34, for the side walls, and at 35 and 36 as regards the upper wall. In accordance with my improved construction, the lower wall 37, of the bellows, does not fold but remains substantially taut at all times.

It is a feature of my invention to stiffen the areas or plaits which are intended to remain fiat either when the bellows is collapsed or extended so as to limit the fold of the bellows to the original lines of crease imparted thereto. This feature of my invention is herein carried out by fixing to the plait 32 a stiffening plate 38 and by fixing to the plait 34, a stifiening plate 39. To plait 36, I fix a stiffening plate 40. It will be noted that plaits 33, 35 and 31 are not stiffened or reinforced by reason of the fact that the longer plates 38 will back up against plaits 31 and 35 and will also extend abreast of plate 40, the latter being interposed between plaits 3-iand 31 when the bellows is folded. Thus the reinforced plaits may be termed plaits of controlling fold, or positive fold whereas the plaits 31, 33 and 35 may be termed the negative plaits of fold. It will now be clear that the bellows will always collapse on the predetermined and initial lines of fold extending substantially transversely and longitudinally with respect to the axis of the bellows.

In order to initiate automatic folding action of the rearmost plaits immediately upon release of tension on the bellows preparatory to closing the camera and thereby render more effective and efiicient the folding action, I will now describe another feature of my invention. As will be seen more clearly by reference to Fig. 9, I mount hinge springs on frame part 11, at 42, the butts of the hinges being the coils 43, of the springs. The wires of which the hinge springs are formed includes loops 14 which extend abreast of plates 39 and through loops 4:5 thereon for sliding connection therewith. The hinge springs will normally act on the plate 39 to swing the same into a folding position and thereby automatically initiate movement of that portion of the bellows which should fold or collapse initially or firstly. It will be readily seen that this feature together with the reinforcing feature, will render the folding operation very effective and accurate. It will be understood that the same kind of hinge spring and automatically acting device will be applied to 1':

terference against quick folding action. 911

the outside face of the bottom wall 37, of the bellows, I mount preferably two vent port housings 46, disposed on the lower wall 37. Each housing is provided with a vent terminal 47 which is so disposed as to open to the interior of the exposure chamber 2 and which is arranged to be closed by one fold of the bellows when the latter is collapsed, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. The vent terminal 47 communicates with a port 48 having a. terminal which opens to the outer air. The lower wall 37 is provided with two apertures, each for registry with one of the vent terminals t? for passage of air through the bellows wall 37 into or out of the housings i6, as the case may be. Covers 46 are suitably fixed to the housings 46 to close the same on that side opposite the wall 37, excepting for the terminals 49, which always remain open. Now it will be readily appreciated, in view of the valvcless nature of these vents, that when the camera is opened, ingress through these vents will neutralize any tendency toward the creation of a vacuum thereby permitting the bellows to be quickly extended without any such resistance. Furthermore, the exposure chamber 2 will be in free communication with the outer air when the bellows is being closed thereby avoiding any resistance which might result from in ternal air pressure. By so disposing the vent ports that the terminals 47 will be closed when the camera is folded, as will be noted at the right of Fig. 3. ingress of light particles of dust and dirt, to the interior of the bellows will be avoided. Furthermore, it will be noted that the vent ports are of a tortuous or sinuous contour thereby effectively avoiding access of light, to the exposure chamber. A front board 50 is provided with an improved form of connection for ready attachment to or detachment from the same of the desired type of shutter and lens structure. A coupling 51 projects from the front of the board 50 and is internally threaded, as at 52, for connection of the casing of the shutter and lens structure. Rearwardly of the threaded por- I tion 52 the coupling is provided with a smooth conical bore. A. fastening ring 5%, of conical exterior form. is secured to the interior of the front margin 52, of the bellows and is fixed by means such as screws 51*, extending through said coupling and the interposed bellows margin and into said fastening ring, the screws serving to hold the ring and bellows in position in the coupling. It is a distinct feature of my invention to provide this construction so as to leave it open to the user to select any kind of lens and shutter structure desired. The front board is hinged to the front wall 4 at 53 and a supporting leg 54, hinged at 55, to the front board 50, may be swung into a supporting position as shown in F ig. l or into a collapsed position as shown in Fig. 4. A suitable knob 56 serves to retain the supporting leg in a closed position. The front wall or brace .4 is hinged to the camera cas ing at 57.

Stretcher bars are designated at 58 and it is a feature of my invention to rigidly secure the stretcherbars to the front board 50, the rear ends of the stretcher bars 58 being provided with rigidly attached pins 59 which extend through slots 60, in the sides 7 of the casing 1. inwardly of the sides 7, is disposed a false frame of U-shaped form comprising a lower bar 61 and side bars 62. The side bars 62 are fixed to the frame 1 in any suitable manner. The side bars 62 are provided with slots 63 in which the heads of pins 59 traverse and extend. It will be noted that there are offsets 64 at the upper ends of slots 60, the purpose of which will presently appear. Now when the camera is being opened and until it has reached a practically full open position, the pins 59 will idly traverse the slots from their lower ends to appreciably up to half the length thereof. At this point, the bellows will not have reached a fully taut position. The stretcher bars will then be grasped by the operator and the pins forced into the upper extremities of the slots and beyond a dead center so as not only to fully stretch the bellows in an extended position but also to lock the same by reason of the offsets 64, into which the pins 59 will seat or spring, because of the tension exerted by the extended bellows. Now because of the fact that the pins 59 will be above a dead center line, the tendency of the stretched bellows will be to hold the pins 59 in the offsets and thereby quickly lock the camera in a rig-idly open position.

It will also be noted that the stretcher bars, because of the fact that they are rigidly connected with the front board, will not only hold the latter in a fixed position but also in a predetermined position, preferably in parallel relation, with the sensitized area to be exposed.

A hood-like housing 65, is loosely connected by upright pins 66, to the top wall 6 of the camera frame and overhangs the top of the camera so as to receive the front board and the casing mounted thereon, containing the shutter and lens. As will be seen by reference to Fig. 5, the front board 50 overhangs the guard 23 and a part of the top wall of the bellows lies against said guard. The hoodlike housing is provided with a spring fastener 67 having a depending catch portion 68 which is forced upwardly, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, when the lens casing passes into the hood, the catch portion subsequently springing down into engagement with the outside face of the lens casing to retain the camera in a folded position.

IVhile the spring catch 67 will in some cases afford sufficient yield to permit the camera to readily fold, I prefer to connect the housing with the camera in such a manner that the housing may be slightly rocked forwardly and rearwardly to additionally facilitate the operation of folding the camera.

I provide the housing with forked portions.68 which extend downwardly along the sides of the camera and the lower ends of which are slotted as indicated at 69. Pins 70, projecting from the sides of the camera extend through said slots 69 and limit rocking movement of the hood-like housing 65. When the camera is closed, as in Fig. 2, the housing will be rocked forwardly so that the pins 70 will be at the right hand ends of the slots 69, while when the camera is open, as in Fig. 1, the pins 70 may occupy any position with respect to the slots. Because of the position of the pins 66, the front edge or part of the housing lifts upwardly when the top of the housing is rocked rearwardly to close or open the camera. A carrier strap 71 is shown connected with the housing 65 with which to carry the camera. A cushion 72 is mounted on the lower face of the upper wall of thehousing to cover the lens opening in the lens casing and protect the lens from ingress of dust and dirt.

In my improved camera, both sides are of identical construction as regards those features of the invention herein claimed. It will be noted that the inner and outer frames are connected together by screws or pins 22 From the foregoing description it is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will be fully understood and while I have herein shown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim 1. A folding camera provided with a bellows adapted to be folded when collapsed, and normally open air vent means for said bellows arranged to be closed by the folds of the latter when the bellows is collapsed, substantially as described.

2. A folding camera including a bellows creased to collapse in abutting folds, and means for initiating collapse of the folds, substantially as described.

3. A folding camera including a bellows creased to collapse in abutting folds, means for stiffening the fiat areas of certain of said folds, and devices connected with such stif ening means for initiating folding action of said stiffened areas, substantially as described.

4. A folding camera comprising a casing, a bellows having one of its ends connected with said casing, a front board connected with the other end of said bellows. a front brace wall for said casing hinged to the latter and to said front board, and stretcher bars rigidly connected with said front board and slidably connected with said casing to lock said bellows open and hold said board in predetermined relation with respect to said casing, substantially as described.

A folding camera comprising a casing, a bellows having one end connected with said casing, a front board connected with the other end of said bellows, and stretcher means rigidly connected with said front board and operatively connected with said casing to lock the bellows open and hold said board in predetermined relation with respe t to said casing, said means being shaped to automatically lock the camera in an extend ed position, substantially as described.

6. A folding camera comprisiin a casing, a bellows connected at one end with said casing, a front board connected with the other end of said bellows, a front brace wall for said casing hinged to the latter and to said front board, and stretcher bars rigidly connected with said front board and ha ing pin and slot connection with said casing, substantially as described.

7. A camera comprising a casing provided with a sensitized material receiving chamber. a casing back closure for closing said chamher, said casing having means for releasably engaging one end of said back closure, and the casing and back closure having coacting spring devices for holding such end of the back closure closed, substantially as described.

8. A camera comprising a casing provided with a rearvvardly disposed sensitized mate rial receiving chamber, a back closure for closing said chamber, yielding slotted means for gripping the lower edge of said back closure to permit the upper end to be flexed into an open position, and spring devices for the upper end of said back closure to hold the latter in a closed position, substantially as described.

9. In a camera, a front board provided with a coupling having a front threaded interiorly for attachment of a shutter and lens casing, said coupling having a smooth bore portion, a bellows having a front tubular margin fitting in said smooth bore portion, a fastening ring inserted in said tubular margin, and devices extending through said coupling, bellows and ring for securing the parts together, substantially described.

10. In a camera, a front board provided with a conical bore, a bellows having a tubular end margin fitting in said bore, and a ring device for securing the tubular end of said bellows in position, substantially as described.

11. In a folding camera, a hinged front wall, a supporting leg, a front board, means for hinging said leg and front board to said front wall, and means for retaining said leg in a retracted position abreast of said front wall, substantially as described.

12. In folding camera, a camera frame provided with a, sensitized material receiving chamber, a bellows and a front board having thereon lens and shutter structures and foldable into said frame with the front board in overhanging relation with the top of the frame, a hood-like housing mounted on the top of said frame for receiving said front board and the structures carried thereby, and a guard extending over the top of said chamber for abutment thereagainst of a portion of the bellows, substantially as described.

13. In a folding camera, a camera frame, a front board with shutter and lens struc tures on the latter, the front board with the strpctures carried thereby being foldable over the top of said frame, a hood-like housing for rec "wing said front board and structures and having a rocking mounting on said frame, said housing having forked portions extendi laterally and downwardly along the sides of said frame and provided F with pin and slot connections with said frame to limit rocking movement of said housing, substantially described.

14. In a folding camera, a camera frame, a bellows and a front board with shutter and lens structures on the latter, the front of the bellows and the front board and its casing being foldable in overhanging relation with the top of said frame, a housing on said frame for receiving said front board and said structures, and a spring catch on said housing for snap engagement with said lcnS structure to hold the camera in a folded position, substantially as described.

15. A camera comprising a frame provided with a sensitized material containing chamber having a bottom wall, an angle strip having one flange upstanding for receiving one end of the back closure inside thereof, the remaining flange being weakened to permit of said upstanding flange bending outwardly when said closure is bent into a position to open said chamber for the reception of sensitized material, lugs being provided to hold said back closure in en- 130 gagement against the inside face of said upstanoing flange. substantially as described.

16. A. cameracomprising a frame providcd with a sensitized material containing chamber a back closure for said chamber, resilient means for holding the bottom end of said back closure for ilexurc of the upper viltl of said closure into an open position, outward bendable spring catches on said frame for engaging upper catch portions of said closure, and said closure having recesses therein for digit engagement of said spring catches to spread the latter for reliance of the upper end of said back to open the latter, substantially as described.

17. A. camera having a sensitized material containing chamber provided with a bottom wall, a re ient back closure for said chamber. an u 'istanding bendable flange structure on said bottom wall for holding the bottom of said closure back, said flange structure having an opening and said closure back having an upset portion adapted to spring into and out of said opening upon insertion or withdrawal of said closure back into or out of connection with said structure, substantially as described.

18. In a folding camera, a front board having a tubular proiection, a shutter casing adapted for attachment in said tubular projection, a bellows having its front end extending into said tubular projection, and means for securing the front end of said bellows in said projection. substantially as described.

19. In a folding camera. a front board haiina a tubular member provided with threads. a shutter casing having a threaded portion for attachment to said tubular memher, a bellows having its front end projecting into said tubular member, and means for securing the front end of the bellows in said member, substantially as described.

20. In a folding camera, a frame, a front board, a front wall hinged to said frame and to said front board, a bellows interposed between said front board and said frame, and still'ening plates secured to the sides of said bellows and having their margins disposed perpendicular to the line of fold of said bellows, substan ially as described.

21. In a folding camera, a frame provided with a housing having a lens covering device, and a lens casing foldable into said housing with the lens of said casing in protected relation with respect to said cushion, substantially as described.

22. In a foiding camera, a camera frame, a bellows and a front board having thereon lens and shutter structures and foldable into said frame with the front board in ovcrhanging relation with the top of said frame. and a hood-like housing mounted on the top of said frame for receiving said front board and the structures carried thereby, substantially as described.

23. In a folding camera, a camera frame, a bellows and a front board with shutter and lens structures on the latter, the front of the bellows and the front board and its casing being foldable in overhanging relation with the top of said frame, and a housing on the top of said frame for receiving said front board and said structures, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

JOHN LIXDER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

